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Monthly Archives: September 2014

RV roofs are something of a special case. They must be strong enough to withstand constant exposure to harsh sunlight, high winds, hair, rain, dirt and dust, but they must be light enough to ensure easily mobility. Because of this, they’re not as strong and durable as the roof on your home – they’re essentially metal covered with a rubber coating. They can be easily damaged by falling branches, and the rubberized material will eventually dry and crack, possibly allowing water to leak into the RV. Repairing damaged areas immediately is vital, but there are a few things you need to know. The most important thing to realize is that you should use liquid roof repair products, rather than stopgap solutions.

Silicone – The Big Mistake

Take a look at the roof of an RV from a decade ago. Chances are good that you’ll see spots of silicone here and there. These are attempted repairs. Perhaps there was a seal leaking, or maybe there was damage from a falling limb or a thrown rock. Whatever the case, silicone used to be the go-to solution for repairs. You’d squirt some silicone on the damaged area, let it cure, and then hope it did the trick. The problem was that all too often it didn’t do the trick. Silicone might be great for certain applications, but RV roof repair isn’t one of them.

The Advantages of Liquid EPDM Roof Repair Products

Rather than silicone, which is likely to not work at all, or only work for a very brief time before the leak begins again, use liquid EPDM roof repair products instead. Essentially, this liquid roof RV repair product is designed to be applied with a brush or roller to the damaged area (or to the entire roof). It bonds with the existing roofing, and creates an impermeable barrier to water.

There are several advantages to using liquid roof repair for RV roofs over silicone. Perhaps the most important one is that liquid roof repair products give you a permanent repair. Silicone is only a very temporary solution even in the best-case scenario. It might give you enough time to make it to a repair center to have the roof repaired professionally, but using liquid EPDM roof repair ensures that you don’t have to worry about pulling up stakes and finding the closest repair center (which could be an entire state away, depending on where you’re traveling).

Another advantage to liquid roof repair is that it’s easily applied, and can be done by pretty much anyone. You’ll need a few tools on hand, including the right underlying tape and the liquid sealant itself of course. Just clean the damaged area, tape it off, and then cover it with the sealant. Follow the manufacturer’s directions here, as you’ll want to make sure that you apply the right number of coats and give each coat enough time to dry before applying the next one.

As you can see, liquid roof repair for RVs is significantly better than silicone.